Method and means for reproducing the grain of wood on paper



Oct. 30, 1934. v w E 1,979,065

METHOD AND MEANS FORREPRODUGING THE GRAIN OF WOOD ON PAPER Filed Jan. so. 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Oct. 30, 1934 7 I: METHOD AND f A-TENT OFFICE MEANS FOR REPRODUCING THEGRAINKIF WOOD N PAPER Z L awrence Case, Manchester, Conn. Application January 30, 1933, Serial No.654,235

f s deals. (0 1. 101-219) This invention relates toa method and means for reproducing the grain of wood on paper. I The object ofthe invention is to provide a simple method and means whereby one or both surfaces of sheets or'strips of indefinite length of thick or thin paper, may be rapidly coated or impregnated with dye of any color or tint in such manner that the imprint on the paper will bean exact reproduction of the grain of the Wood' chosen, which, for example, may be the grain, of ash, pine, oak, spruce, elm, birch, maple, black walnut or mahogany, the product, depending onthe thickness of the paper, being adaptable for wall paper,'wall panels, cartons, boxes, desk pads, book covers and many other purposes. v

' .In attaining, this object an apparatus is provided which" comprises a pair of heavy metal rotatable bed cylinders with their axes parallel and a heavy metal rotatable pressure cylinder arranged above and with its axis parallel with the ,axes ofv the .bed cylinders, in such relation that a roll" of the" desired wood may be simply thrust between them, resting upon the bed cylinders and subject to the pressure of the pressure cylinder, dye of. the required color or tint being supplied to the wood roll so that as the cylinders are rotated paper passed through the apparatus will receive an imprint of the grain of the wood roll.

Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings shows a plan view of an apparatus which embodies the invention.

Fig. 2 shows a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the cylinders and roll, showing the preferred travel of the paper.

Fig. 4 illustrates a variation of the paper travel through the apparatus.

Fig. 5 shows a modified arrangement for the application of the dye.

In the apparatus illustrated the shafts of the bed cylinders 1 and 2 are mounted in pillow blocks 3 that may be fixed on but are preferr ably adjustably secured on the frame 4 in order that the distance apart of the adjacent surfaces of the bed cylinders may be varied. At the back the shaft 5 of the bed cylinder 1 has a gear 6 which is engaged by a pinion? on the shaft 8 that may be driven from any suitable source of power. Beneath the bed cylinder 2 is a tank 9 in which the dye to be used is placed.

The pressure cylinder 10 is mounted above the bed cylinders with the ends of its shaft 11 carried by hearing blocks 12 that are vertically movable in openings in the side walls of the upper ,part of, the frame. Engaging the bearing blocks'are levers 13 that by links 14 are connected with levers 15 adjustable along which are weights 16, so that when in operation the pressure roll will be forced downward not only by its own weight but by the multiplied power of the weighted levers. The ends of the levers 13 are pivoted to nuts 113 that are engaged by screws 17 which turn in the upper ends of the side frames. By turning these screws the pressure 'ofthe levers 13 on the bearing blocks 12 may be relieved when it is desired to lift the pressure cylinder, and the lower ends of the links 14 are connected with the levers 15 so that they may be adjusted according to the height of the bearing blockswhich will depend on the diameter of the wood roll.

A roll 18 of the variety of wood the grain of which is to be imprinted on the paper, is inserted into the space between the pressure and bed cylinders. The paper to be imprinted is passed through the apparatus from a supply roll 19 to a winding roll 20, preferably between the pressure cylinder 10 and the wood roll 18 and then between the bed cylinder 1 and the wood roll 18, as illustrated in Fig. 3, but the paper can be passed between the pressure roll and the wood roll only, as indicated in Fig. 4. On the end of the shaft 21 of the winding roll is a gear 22 that is engaged by a pinion 23 on a shaft 24. which may be driven by any convenient source of power. After the paper has been threaded through the apparatus the pressure cylinder, which has been raised by any convenient means to permit this, is allowed to bear down upon the paper between it and the Wood roll.

Dye, whether carried up by the bed cylinder 2 which turns in the dye tank, as illustrated in Fig. 3, or applied to the cylinder from the pipe 27, as indicated in Fig. 5, impregnates the pores of the wood roll to such an extent that the roll under the pressure exerted by the pressure cylinder will imprint the grain of the wood roll on the paper. A roll 25 mounted on weighted levers 26 may be arranged to regulate the amount of 1m dye on the surface of the wood roll. The imprint may be made light with the one pressure engagement indicated in Fig. 4, or may be made much heavier with the two pressure engagements indicated in Fig. 3.

This apparatus may be a separate machine or may be arranged at the end of a paper making machine, and it may be used to reproduce on paper a continuous imprint of the actual grain of any particular variety of wood by simply in- 110 change the character of the grain imprint, is toraise the pressure roll, remove the wood roll that is between the cylinders and substitute another wood roll of the variety desired. When the wood rolls become worn or too much impregnated to impart a good imprint, they may be turned down to a smaller diameter so that they will have a fresh surface, in fact, the smaller the diameter of the wood roll with relation to the cylinders; the better the impression. With the arrangement illustrated there are three lines of contact on the wood roll. This holds'the wood roll from springing or bending under the heavy pressure to which it is subjected. With the bed cylinders close together the force exerted by the pressure cylinder is nearer a straight-line than when the bed cylindersare further separated and there is a tendency of the wood roll to wedge the bed cylinders apart, and pressure is an essential factor in determining the amount of dye and sharpness of the design that will be imprinted on the paper from the wood roll.

The invention claimed is:

l. An apparatus for 'graining paper which. comprises a pair of rotatable bed cylinders, a rotatable pressure cylinder, a solid roll of wood having a smooth unbroken surface located in the space between said cylinders, means for applying dye to said roll, and means for feeding paper between the said roll and pressure cylinder.

. 2. An apparatus for graining paper which comprises a pair of rotatable cylinders adapted to be adjusted toward and from each other, a rotatable cylinder movable toward the said pair of cylinders, a roll of wood with a smooth unbroken surface located in the space between said cylinders, means for applying dye to said roll,

one of said cylinders, a roll of wood with a smoothunbroken surface located in the space between thecylinders, means for applying dye to said roll,'and means for feeding paper between 'said' roll and cylinders.

4. An apparatus for graining paper which comprises a pair of rotatable cylinders, a roll of Wood With a smooth unbroken surface supported by saidcylinders, means for applying dye to said roll; a rotatable cylinder adapted to bear on saidroll, and means for feeding paper between the said roll'and the pressure cylinder.

5. An apparatus for gr'aining paper which comprises two rotatable cylinders arranged parallel with each other, means for rotationg one of said cylinders, a roll of wood with a smooth unbroken surface loosely placed on said cylinders, means for applying dye to said roll, a cylinder adapted to bear on said'roll, and means for varying the pressure of said latter cylinder on said roll.

6. An apparatus for graining paper which comprises three rotatable .cylindersarranged angularly to each other with their axes parallel, means for adjusting'the cylinders toward and from each other and contracting or expanding through the space between the cylinders and subjecting it to the rolling pressure of said roll.

LAWRENCE W. CASE. 

